Ode To A Lack Of Freshman Romance
by squeak029
Summary: highlights a clarinetist and a horn player through marching and pep band.
1. The back seat

The night was cool, but the bus heater was extremely warm. They were sitting in the very back seat on the long drive back to their school. The basketball team had just won sectionals, and it was a happy night for all- especially for the 1st chair freshman clarinetist. She had liked him for so long- since the end of marching season, 6 months before. And now, here they were, with only the moonlight and two hours together. They were surrounded by other band kids, but the clarinetist didn't seem to notice. All she saw was the 1st chair horn player next to her. He was almost six inches taller than her, with thick brown hair and big brown eyes.


	2. Is Ohio for lovers?

They had both come into the marching season single- and had remained that way thus far. They would sit in the stands and talk during football games, but it was all just friendly conversation. Around the annual October band trip to Ohio, things had started to change. The Sunday of that trip included an excursion to Paramount's King's Island. He had been there the year before, but this was her first time there; as well as her first experience with roller coasters.


	3. Ladies Man

She started the day out with a group of her friends, the horn player not included. They went on log rides, water rides, scramblers, and numerous other thrill rides. Then, several hours into the day, the horn player joined up with them.

They all went on a ride resembling a large spider, where they were left hanging in the air for several minutes. The clarinetist and the hornist rode together, with him insisting on "Ladies first." Hanging backwards in midair was not the most comforting thing to her, and he was teasing her about it. They both managed to make it off that ride alive, and then they went to two different roller coasters, and rode together on both. The first had six loops and large heights… which were thrilling. The second was indoors and completely in the dark at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. She was embarrassed by the fact that she somehow managed to hit her head on him during the ride, but he didn't mind. After a few rides, the group that they were with split off into different groups again; she didn't see him for the rest of the trip.


	4. I'm FLYINGGGG!

The next week, their marching band had two more competitions to end the season. It was cold that weekend, unlike the eighty degree temperatures that had been enjoyed the week before. Most of the band had brought along jackets or sweatshirts, but the hornist and the clarinetist went with a different choice: blankets. His blanket was exceptionally soft, with a picture of a wolf on it. Hers was a purple fleece with frogs printed on it. Being the insane band geeks that they were, the blankets were magically transformed into "magic capes." He and she spent much of the day "flying" around the parking lot of the host school with their "magic capes."

Marching season was over after that trip- which meant pep band season was near. While it wasn't nearly as enticing as marching season, pep band was an excuse to spend more time in the band hall after hours. On days of games several of the members would spend the 4 hours until call in the band room (or dance room, or guard room, or orchestra room, or chasing each other through the hallways with six-foot metal poles). Some didn't want to go home, some didn't have a way to return if they left, and they all agreed that they were home. Many pointless games were made up during these hours. Pointless games occurred all the time, but lots of hyperactivity added to these. Band geeks are easily entertained- all it takes is a slinky, ball, or flashing light. The principal horn and clarinet were no exception.


	5. Playtime

One afternoon of a game day, there were about ten band kids hanging around the band room, all of whom were in marching band. They decided to resurrect their show from the previous season. The hornist played the drum major, the clarinetist marched her part. They also "played" concert band, where the make-believe band director conducted and attempted to keep the kids under control. These were the types of things that caused the band kids to nearly die of laughter.

Through the games of cards and Clue, the role-playing, the practicing, and everything in-between, she fell for him. She fell not harder, but deeper than she had ever fallen before. He was amazing- and so much more than she would ever be. Then one day, near the end of pep band season, he announced it to everyone: he was moving to the other side of the country at the end of the school year. She was broken-hearted and depressed, but… not nearly as much so as she had been the last time she had been left. He was leaving- and there was nothing that she could do about it.


	6. The stars are shining brightly

But none of that mattered now, as they sat in the back of the band bus. All she wanted to do was kiss him… but she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to tell him that she had fallen for him in a way that she had never fallen before. He was what she dreamed of at night. They talked on the ride home that night, but it was all just friendly conversation. It was always just friendly conversation. Always. She never wanted that ride to end, even though it wasn't what she wanted it to be. As long as he was by her side, everything would be all right.


	7. Never got to say goodbye

'He's leaving,' she thought. 'He's leaving and I never got the chance to say good-bye. I never got the chance to tell him how much he means to me or how he's one in a million. He's the one star that shines the brightest in the night sky. He's so much unlike any other guy that I know. He's so mature, so sweet and so loving. And all I wanted was to tell him how much he meant to me and let him know that I will never forget him. And maybe give him a little peck on the cheek, nothing too suggestive, just so that he feels as special as he really is. But I don't have the chance. I understand why he's leaving, and he's happy even though he has to leave what is currently his life. So I should be happy too. But I can't let go of the nagging feeling that there is no other guy like him.'

'We were so close for a while. It was so nice… but then all of a sudden…something happened. I still don't know what it was. I still don't know why. But I miss him. I miss him terribly, and he's not even gone yet. He is gone in a sense, but he's also still here. And I never got that chance to tell him how I feel. I guess it's not even a lack of freshman romance anymore… it's a lack of summer romance, even though he was not a freshman.'

'It's going to be a long summer. And once band camp starts, he won't be there. He will be on the other side of the country with a different band and a different group of friends and a whole nother life. Maybe someone new will come along, maybe they won't. Maybe I'll see him sometime in the future. But for just this once, I have to accept reality as it is. No more playing games in my mind. He's leaving. And if I can't be with him, all I really wanted is to say good-bye.'


End file.
